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President Lee appoints ex-chief of Doosan as special envoy to U.S.

Published: 17 Jul. 2025, 18:03

SARAH KIM
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Woo Sang-ho, presidential secretary for political affairs, speaks to reporters at a press briefing at the Yongsan presidential office in central Seoul on July 17. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

President Lee Jae Myung named Park Yong-maan, the former chairman of Doosan Group, as his special envoy to the United States, the presidential office announced on Thursday, ahead a looming deadline for tariff negotiations.

Park, a former chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), will lead a special delegation also including ruling Democratic Party (DP) Reps. Han Jun-ho and Kim Woo-young, presidential secretary for political affairs Woo Sang-ho said in a press briefing in Seoul.

The delegation is expected to "explain the change in the situation in Korea since President Lee took office and help with the understanding of various international situations," Woo said, without elaborating further.

The announcement comes as Seoul is trying to reach a tariff deal with Washington as U.S. President Donald Trump has set a deadline of Aug. 1 for imposing 25 percent reciprocal tariffs on Korean goods. Seoul, in turn, has been working toward a "package deal" with Washington to comprehensively cover trade and security matters and arranging a first bilateral summit between Lee and Trump.

From left: Park Yong-maan, Han Jun-ho and Kim Woo-young

Woo said that the Park-led special delegation's departure date for Washington has yet to be confirmed. Thus, it is unclear if a U.S. visit will come ahead of the Aug. 1 deadline.

Special envoys usually deliver letters from the president during their visit to a country.

Lee is in the process of sending special envoys to 14 countries, and Park is the fifth envoy to be announced so far.

Woo said Park was appointed because he is an "exemplar businessperson from the Korean business community and had a history of serving as the head of a leading Korean economic organization," offering "more natural" means of meeting with the American business community.

Park, drawing from his experience as Doosan head and KCCI chairman, is known to have a strong network in both the U.S. business community and the government and reportedly understands Lee's vision.

President Lee Jae Myung, left, holds a luncheon meeting with Kim Chong-in, right, former interim leader of the conservative People Power Party, at the Yongsan presidential office in central Seoul on July 17. [PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE]

Earlier Thursday, President Lee held a luncheon meeting with Kim Chong-in, a political heavyweight who has previously been floated as a special envoy candidate. The notion of Kim as special envoy to Washington, however, has been met by backlash from liberal lawmakers. Lee reportedly sought Kim's understanding in the personnel change.

Kim, who has been called a kingmaker, has supported both liberals and conservatives with his long experience in engineering campaigns and advising presidential candidates. Kim, who has previously served as both the leader of the conservative People Power Party (PPP) and the interim chief of the liberal DP, had a role overseeing former President Yoon Suk Yeol's election campaign committee in 2022.

During the luncheon, Kim advised Lee on economic issues, emphasizing that economic polarization and the low birthrate are serious problems that require countermeasures, Woo said. Lee, in turn, expressed appreciation for Kim's experience and knowledge and asked for continued advice.

Kim also cautioned Lee to "try not to resolve the current tariff negotiations with the United States too hastily, but rather look to resolve them with a long-term approach," Woo said.

Kim further warned that there are quite a few people in the United States who "mistakenly view President Lee as being pro-China."

Regarding such concerns, Lee replied that he will try to make a "deal on all issues by prioritizing the Korea-U.S. alliance and bilateral relations," as he has done so far, and that he hopes that the United States will not misunderstand his stance, according to Woo.

BY SARAH KIM [[email protected]]